Great iPad apps?

Sherri Tierney

Sherri Tierney

New member
I am sure if I search I will find older threads with some suggestions but since apps change all the time and new things are coming out every day, I figured I'd post a fresh one.

I am a relative iPad version. My kids both have an iPod Touch. DH and I have android phones and I have a Nexus 7 tablet which is also android.

At work I was given an iPad. I have browsed through the app store but I just can't find much that catches my eye. In addition to some fun apps for my personal use, I am looking for some interesting educational apps that can be used by my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers.

What are your favorite apps for education, productivity, photos, etc.?
 
Paper 53 is kind of amazing. Handwriting looks amazing and it's super easy to create stamps, word art, etc for digi scrapping :)
 
This PIN has some interestin tips. So far I'm only using Evernote and Teackers kit, but I plan on looking into some of the others as well. For example Smart notebook. We have a Smartboard in each classroom so I already use this om my work pc and I've taken a mini course to learn how to use it.
 
For productivity, Noteshelf is a great note taking app for the iPad! I haven't found anything that works nearly as well for the Android. If I could find an app as awesome as Noteshelf for the Android, I would be very happy! I love my iPad but wow, it is so much nicer carrying around my Nexus 7. And I really can't justify spending the money on an iPad mini, as much as I'd like.

I do think that if you're looking for educational apps, especially for elementary level, then the iPad just can't be beat! If I were you, I'd consider getting the Facebook or Twitter feed for http://www.smartappsforkids.com/ which has categories for the iPad, Android and Special Needs. They send out alerts about free apps and they often highlight specific categories of apps. For teachers, they recently made a list of lesson planning apps: http://www.smartappsforkids.com/2013/08/top-lesson-planning-apps-for-teachers.html
 
Maria, I've never heard of Paper 53. Off to check it out. :)

Hanna, the teacher iPads are set up with Air Play (I believe it is called, my work brain is shut off today!) so that the teachers can log in and mirror their computers from their iPads. They use the smart board in this way as well as the Elmo. Each of our classrooms has a smart board and Elmo. I don't have enough experience with either because I don't have one in my room to play around on (though it would be nice for instructing the kids when they are in the computer lab). My experience with both is primarily troubleshooting. Thanks for posting the link for me!
 
origami said:
For productivity, Noteshelf is a great note taking app for the iPad! I haven't found anything that works nearly as well for the Android. If I could find an app as awesome as Noteshelf for the Android, I would be very happy! I love my iPad but wow, it is so much nicer carrying around my Nexus 7. And I really can't justify spending the money on an iPad mini, as much as I'd like.

I do think that if you're looking for educational apps, especially for elementary level, then the iPad just can't be beat! If I were you, I'd consider getting the Facebook or Twitter feed for http://www.smartappsforkids.com/ which has categories for the iPad, Android and Special Needs. They send out alerts about free apps and they often highlight specific categories of apps. For teachers, they recently made a list of lesson planning apps: http://www.smartappsforkids.com/2013/08/top-lesson-planning-apps-for-teachers.html
Click to expand...

We were posting at the same time. :)

I agree with you on how much easier it is to carry around the Nexus 7! I can fit it along with my coupon binder, wallet, and all my other junk in my every day purse. If I try to carry the iPad I need to take a suitcase. ;) It just seems so much larger and more cumbersome!

I check the smart apps for kids site a few times a week, but I haven't began following their feeds yet. I am always overwhelmed by them. I have to learn to think like a kid because I download an app and think it is stupid but my kids go crazy for it. LOL I would like to find at least 2 apps a month to recommend to the teachers for classroom use.

At this point ONLY the teachers have iPads. The students do not have any for their use. YET. We are working on it. We have grade level attendance centers in our district. PreK - 1st, 2nd - 3rd and 4th - 5th for elementary. Our PreK-1st attendance center does have iPads in every room. They just got them last year so still a relatively new thing. However, our kids who came to us new this year (2nd grade) spent all last year using iPads and have no experience with laptops. It sure makes for some frustrated kids when they come in to the computer lab and can't make their fingers work the keys. The goal is to eventually have iPads in both 2nd and 3rd grade and then eventually moving on up through the rest of the grades. At the same time our tech manager is starting at the top and moving them down through high school. We will meet in the middle at some point and, hopefully, all the kids will be experienced with them at that point. :)
 
As an update - We are getting iPads for the 2nd grade classes now rather than just teacher iPads. We're pretty excited about this... just found out this afternoon. A grant came through. :) This will broaden the horizons as far as what apps will work well because some things that the kids can do will be easier done through an iPad rather than mirrored through the smart board.
 
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